The present invention relates to PC card integrated radio communication terminal apparatus which has integrated a radio communication unit such as a portable telephone set and a PC card type modem. The invention is contemplated, particularly for power supply from a PC card slot and power supply from a battery, to control power distribution to each section of the apparatus and to control battery charge.
Radio communication terminal apparatus which has integrated a PC card type modem and a radio communication unit, as known from JP-A-8-340389, is adapted to be used as a portable telephone set when separately used as a terminal, and to be used as data communication terminal apparatus when the apparatus is connected via a personal computer and the PCMCIA interface (I/F).
FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a conventional PC card integrated radio communication apparatus (a). The conventional PC card integrated radio communication apparatus (a) is composed of a modem section (a2), a radio communication section (a1), a battery (a3), and an antenna (a4).
The radio communication section (a1) is composed of a radio control circuit (a11), a transceiver circuit (a12), and a power supply circuit (a13).
The modem section is composed of a modem circuit (a21) and a power supply circuit (a22).
It is contemplated that the voltage of the battery (a3) is supplied to the radio communication section (a1) alone and not to the modem section (a2).
It is contemplated that the voltage is supplied from the power supply terminal of the PCMCIA slot (b1) to the modem section (a2) alone and not to the radio communication section (a1) in a state where the PC card integrated radio communication unit (a) is inserted in the PCMCIA slot (b1) of the personal computer (b).
As mentioned above, conventional PC card integrated radio communication apparatus can use a battery alone for power supply to the radio communication section, in a state where the apparatus is attached to a personal computer. Thus the service hour of the PC card integrated radio communication apparatus is determined by the discharge capacity of the battery.
In conventional PC card integrated radio communication apparatus, the power supply circuit was simplified so that the battery was dedicated for the radio communication section and the power for the PC card slot was dedicated for the modem section.
Thus no voltage is supplied from the PC card slot of a personal computer and service hour of the apparatus cannot be prolonged.
The invention, concerning the above problems, aims at providing PC card integrated radio communication apparatus wherein service hour is prolonged and battery charge is made possible in the operating state where current consumption of the radio communication section is small, by controlling power distribution to each section of the apparatus and to control battery charge for power supply from a PC card slot and power supply from a battery, depending on the power supply state of the personal computer and operating state of the apparatus.
To solve the problems, as described in the first aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus is devised, having a battery, a radio communication section and a modem section integrated into a PC card, in that the apparatus is equipped with insertion/non-insertion state detection means for detecting the insertion/non-insertion state of the radio apparatus into a PC card slot; power supply mode selection/power supply means for selecting the power supply mode of the power supply from the battery and/or power supply from the PC card slot depending on the insertion/non-insertion state and the connection state of the radio communication device including attachment of the battery and the operating states of the radio communication section and the modem section to supply power; and charge means for recharging the battery via power supply from the PC card slot, after checking the state of the radio communication section while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the insertion state, wherein service hour is prolonged and battery charge is made possible in the operating state where current consumption of the radio communication section is small, by controlling power distribution to each section of the apparatus or to control battery charge for power supply from a PC card slot and power supply from a battery, depending on the power supply state of the personal computer and operating state of the apparatus.
As described in the second aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is devised, in that the power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power supply from the battery to the modem section while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the non-insertion state, wherein power supply to the modem section is shut off to reduce current consumption in the apparatus in a state where the PC card integrated radio communication apparatus is not attached to the PC card slot.
As described in the third aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is devised, in that the power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power to the modem section and radio communication section from the PC card slot as well as shuts off power supply from the battery while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the insertion state and the radio communication section is in the non-communication state, wherein power supply from the PC card slot is capable of supplying power to operate the PC card integrated radio communication apparatus in a state where the current consumption of the radio communications section is small, such as the non-communication state, and wherein battery discharge can be prevented and apparatus operation can be maintained by supplying power from the PC card slot to the modem section and radio communication section of the PC card integrated radio communication apparatus as well as shutting off power supply from the battery.
As described in the fourth aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is devised, in that the apparatus has means for detecting whether the battery is attached or not and the power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power supply from the PC card slot while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the insertion state and the battery is removed, wherein the apparatus detects that the battery is removed and deactivates the entire apparatus by shutting off power supply from the PC card slot thus preventing malfunction of the apparatus.
As described in the fifth aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is devised, in that the power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power from the PC card slot and the charge means recharges the battery while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the insertion state and the radio communication section is in the non-operating state or non-communication state, wherein power supply from the PC card slot is capable of supplying power to operate the PC card integrated radio communication apparatus in a state where the current consumption of the radio communications section is small, such as the non-operating state before the apparatus is powered or non-communication state, and capable of recharging the battery with extra power.
As described in the sixth aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is devised, in that the power supply mode selection/power supply means selects power supply from the PC card slot and the battery to supply power to the radio communication section while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the insertion state and the radio communication section is in the communication state, wherein discharge current from the battery is reduced to prolong service hour of the apparatus in a communication state where current consumption of the radio communication section is relatively large, by supplying power simultaneously from the PC card slot and the battery.
As described in the seventh aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is devised, in that the power supply mode selection/power supply means shuts off power supply to the modem section while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the insertion state and the radio communication section is in the speech communication state, wherein current consumption of the apparatus can be reduced by shutting off power supply to the modem section because conversation is possible via the radio communication section alone in the speech communication state.
As described in the eighth aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is devised, in that the power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power to the modem section and radio communication section from the battery as well as shuts off power supply from the PC card slot while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the insertion state and in case where a control signal or command is given to the power supply mode selection/power supply means from a personal computer connected via the PC card slot, wherein current consumption of the personal computer is reduced by supplying power to the modem section also from the battery in the apparatus in a state where the personal computer is operating from the battery built into the personal computer alone and the battery built into the personal computer is weak, thus prolonging the service hour in total.
As described in the ninth aspect of the invention, PC card integrated radio communication apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is devised, in that the power supply mode selection/power supply means supplies power to the modem section and radio communication section from the PC card slot as well as shuts off power supply from the battery while the insertion/non-insertion state detection means is detecting the insertion state and the radio communication section is in the continuous reception state, wherein the power supply does not require a large current supply capability because no transmission is made in the continuous reception state during packet communication, and the apparatus is operable from power supply from the PC card alone in this state thus communication can be maintained without power supply from the battery.